Knife.



W. C. LOGKHART.

KNIFE.

APPLIOATION FILED Mlm, 1910.

Patented Sept 20, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE C. LOCKHART, OF PERRY, FLORIDA.

a KNIFE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLTE C. Lookmin'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perry, in the county of Taylor and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knives, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to cutlery and more particularly to improved pocket knives of that character wherein a plurality of cutting blades or other useful instrumentalities are provided, said blades being adapted to be rigidly heldin operative position and adapted to be adjusted between spaced parallel plates when the knife is not in use.

Another object is to provide a pocket knife of the above character which is simple in construction, of great utility and highly durable and efiicient in use. 1

A further object is to provide a knife the blades of which are foldable between the body plates thereof on opposite sides of the center of the knife.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a pocket knife constructed in accordance with the present invention, one of the cover plates eing removed; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the blade holding bars.

Referring mo-re particularly to the drawings, 5 indicates the spaced parallel body plates of my improved knife between which the cutting blades 6 are adapted to be housed when in closed osition. The blades are four (4) in num er, two (2) of the same being pivoted between the plates 5, at their ends, the pivot pins 7 extending transversely through the blades and plates at substantially the longitudinal center of the latter'. The other pair of knife blades G, are also pivotally mounted upon transverse pivot pins 7 upon opposite sides of the longitudinal vertical centers of the body plates 5. Each of the knife blades 6, is formed at its pivoted end with a shoulder 8, said shoulders being adapted to receive the ends of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 2, 1910.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910. serial No. 546,851.

the bars 9. Two (2) of the bars 9 are ernployed and they are formed from resilient sheet metal, preferably steel. The bars are formed at opposite sides and at their approximate longitudinal centers with the transversely extending' studs 10, which are adapted to be secured in the body plates 5, of the knife. Each of the resilient bars 9, is identical in form and comprises a main body portion of substantially the same width 6 as the space between the housing plates, and the substantially L-shaped ends 9. The laterally extending extremities 9, of these bars are adapted to engage with the shoulders 8 of the knife blades and yieldingly hold said plates in their open positions.

In Fig. l I have shown the end blades open while the intermediate blades are arranged in position between the housing plates 5. The spring pressure of the end portions 7 of the steel bars 9 is suflicient to overcome the normal pressure upon the knife blade when used, the operators fingers bearing upon the back of the blade. lhen the intermediate blades are open they extend at 8 right angles to the body of the knife. It will be obvious that if desired instead of the knife blades cork screws or other useful iinplements may be employed and arranged in a similar manner to said blades. lVhen the 8 end blades are closed they are moved in opposite directions and when disposed between the body plates 5, their inner edges are positioned in the longitudinally extending slot 12, of the resilient bar 9. The ends of this 9 slot extend partially through the L-shaped extremities 9, of the bar and one end of said slot is adapted to receive the point of one of the intermediate knife blades as clearly shown in Fig. 1 in the drawings. 9 When arranged in folded position the extremities of the spring bar bear upon the ends of the blades and securely retain the same between the plates 5 against accidental outward movement. When the blades are open the spring metal bars 9 are bent or flexed and when the blade has been moved to its full open position, the extremity of the bar is disposed in the vnotch formed by the revision of the shoulder 8 in the knife 105 lade.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction and operation of my improved pocket knife will be anparent without requil-ing a more extende` description.

The device is of simple construction, the blades may be quickly moved to open or closed position and when so disposed are adapted to be securely held against inadvertent movement. The blades do not contact with each other when they are folded as in the ordinaryv knife and the sharpened edges thereof are therefore retained for a much greater length of time than is possi ble with pocket knives as now constructed. While I have shown and described the particular form of my invention which I believe to be the preferable one, it will be understood that the device is susceptible of many minor modifications without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A knife of the character described comprising spaced parallel plates, end blades pivoted between said plates, intermediate blades pivoted between the plates, one of the end blades and one of the intermediate blades having their pivot points in longitudinal alinement, and a pair of spring' bars between said plates and bearing upon the pivoted ends of one of the end blades and one of the intermediate blades to yieldingly hold the same in their closed or open position.

2. A knife of the character described comprising spaced parallel plates, end blades pivoted between the ends of said plates, intermediate blades pivoted between said plates and upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the plates, and a pair of spring bars each secured at its center between said plates, the ends of each bar being shouldered and in engagement with the pivoted end of one of the end blades and one of the intermediate blades to yieldingly hold said blades in their open or closed positions, the

adjacent shouldered @has of said tats; being disposed upon each other.

3.A A knife of he character described come prising' parallel longitudinal plates, end blades centrally pivoted betwaeen the said plates, intermediate blades pivoted between said plates, each of said blades having a i shoulder formed on its pivoted end, a slotted spring metal bar secured intermediate of its ends between said plates, said bar being provided for one of the end blades and one of the intermediate blades, the ends of said b-ar bearing upon the shouldered end of the blades to yieldingly hold the same in their closed or open positions, said blades being movable to such positions upon opposite sides of the plates, the end blades being disposed in the slot of said bar when closed.

4. A knife of the character described comprising parallel longitudinal plates, end

blades pivoted between said plates, intermediate blades pivoted between said plates on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of said plates, the pivotedend of each of said blades being recessed to form a shoulder, slotted spring metal bars arranged between said plates, said bars having transverse studs centrally formed thereon disposed through the plates, the ends of each of said bars being substantially L-shaped in form and engaging with the shoulder of one of the end bladesand one of the intermediate blades to yieldingly hold the same in their open or closed positions, said blades being movable to such positions upon opposite sides of the plates.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIE C. LOCKHART.

Witnesses:

L. J. ALLEN, W. F. CALHOUN. 

